


Agape Studios

by IncandescentAntelope



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dog Groomer Victor Nikiforov, Katsuki Yuuri’s Viktor kink, M/M, Rom-Com vibes, Vicchan Lives, fade to black i'm so sorry, kissus interruptus skdfjhgskjfg, they're cute and awkward
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:28:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28090176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncandescentAntelope/pseuds/IncandescentAntelope
Summary: Viktor Nikiforov is a world-class dog groomer and Yuuri is hopelessly crushing on him; today he might finally be brave enough to say it out loud.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Comments: 34
Kudos: 159





	Agape Studios

**Author's Note:**

> my unending gratitude to Riki for their unflinching enthusiasm and for helping me write this <3 beta’d by Tess (thewalrus_said) and alpha’d by Rikichie!

Yuuri bit his lip and pressed his face into Vicchan's fur as the train slowed to a stop. He was way too early for another trim, but god, he couldn't stay away. Not when Viktor was… well. Viktor. 

Viktor, with his easy conversation and beautiful blue eyes, and the way his hands moved through Vicchan's fur. Yuuri lost a lot of daydreams to Viktor's hands, wondering what it would be like to be pet by those hands, held by those hands.

Yuuri stood from his seat, Vicchan bundled in his arms, eager and watchful as they deboarded and stepped into the early afternoon sunshine. Vicchan trotted along beside him on his leash, stopping to sniff at every static and moving object they passed as Yuuri's existential crisis continued on. 

Viktor would know. He was being so painfully obvious with it, Vicchan barely even needed his nails clipped. Viktor had asked Yuuri for Vicchan's favorite color last time, and was only too happy to tie a bright blue  _ Agape Studios _ bandana around his neck. 

Vicchan yipped happily as they approached the small studio, the brick facade painted a lovely (if ostentatious) shade of fuschia. Yuuri paused for a moment outside the door, trying fruitlessly not to look into the wide picture window. He knew the scene inside as well as the back of his hand: the large, open space with a comfortable leather couch, plenty of soft, clean pet beds for waiting clientele. The space was soft but modern, a warm white compared to the dizzying pink on the exterior.

There was always music playing quietly in the studio, something that Viktor was always humming along to. On his first visit, Yuuri had thought it was simply because the music looped in a short playlist, but the music was always different when he brought Vicchan in for his trims. It was a small thing, to look forward to Viktor’s soft humming, to the singsong tempo of his voice when he spoke. 

Yuuri waited a moment longer, catching his breath as Vicchan lapped eagerly at the stainless steel water dish left outside for passers-by. When he had finished drinking, Vicchan pawed at Yuuri’s ankle. He’d cuffed his jeans and worn the blue and pink pastel socks he had bought for pride… Phichit (and the larger community of r/bisexuals) promised that the combination would make his  _ preferences  _ perfectly known to a discerning eye. 

He blew out a slow breath and opened the door, a wide smile breaking over his lips before he had even made eye contact with the cheery silver-haired man currently brushing a mountain of a husky.

“Yuuri! Vicchan! Hi!” Viktor chirped over the soft pop playing through the speakers, “Looking handsome as always. Love the socks.”

Yuuri let himself imagine it was a compliment for him and not the puppy at his feet. “Hi Viktor,” he answered, unclipping Vicchan’s lead and letting him run free. He, of course, immediately made for Viktor’s own pet, his beloved Makkachin, who was quietly snoozing in a dog bed in the sunshine. Vicchan was her nearly identical miniature; Makkachin’s standard size dwarfed Vicchan comically. They still played as if there was no size difference, and they were utterly adorable together, and Yuuri was quite liberal in taking photos of them together. 

The pair frequently featured on the studio’s Instagram page, and the silly profile he had made for Vicchan had since far surpassed his personal account’s followers. It had been Viktor’s idea. And Yuuri was awful at saying no to Viktor.

“You’re back early,” Viktor remarked playfully, brushing a large tuft of fur off the table. “Vicchan isn’t due for a trim for another few weeks.” Viktor pursed his lips as if deep in thought, but Yuuri couldn’t stop staring at his mouth when he did. He had never wanted to kiss another human being more than Viktor. “You know I’m only available by appointment only…” 

Yuuri flushed, though the teasing lilt to Viktor’s voice was undeniable. “I know! I know. I just…”

“Did I forget to trim his nails?” Viktor asked, suddenly worried, as if he would have done something like that. Yuuri laughed and shook his head, finding a seat on that comfortable couch near the window. Both Makkachin and Vicchan jumped onto the couch beside him, tails thumping against the leather eagerly. 

“No, no, of course not,” Yuuri supplied frantically, his heart leaping into his throat. “You never forget anything.”

Viktor chuckled. “ _ Au contraire _ , I’m quite a forgetful person.” Yuuri snorted at the thought. Viktor never forgot their appointments, Yuuri’s name, or Vicchan’s usual trim, the Teddy Bear Number Four. “Did you miss me?”

Yuuri squeaked at the accusation. It was true, of course; Yuuri had absolutely missed him, his company, his smile. He did his best to pretend it wasn’t the case, forcing out a laugh that he hoped sounded natural. 

“Vicchan did,” Yuuri said, omitting his own fault in the matter, “He wouldn’t stop pouting at the door, and he walked us right to you.”

Yuuri didn’t dare hope that he had actually seen Viktor’s cheeks blush pink. “He’s a smart boy,” Viktor remarked, brushing away another clump of the husky’s thick undercoat. “I’m glad he brought you back. I missed you too.”

Yuuri almost forgot how to breathe; had Viktor meant  _ you too _ , or  _ you two _ ? He elected to move past it, knowing that thinking about it any further would definitely spell disaster.The buzz of Viktor’s trimmers interrupted any nonchalant reply he could have made, turning Yuuri’s attention inward for a moment or two. He had expected Viktor to be… different, when Yuuri didn’t have an appointment. Or that he might have been given an odd look, that it would have been awkward. But Viktor was perfectly relaxed, as always, smiling softly as he worked. 

Makkachin lapped at his cheek and knocked his glasses off his nose, pulling a laugh from Yuuri’s very core. Slobber smeared across the lenses and he had to push her away, at least long enough to wipe his glasses off and put them back on his face. 

“Is she intruding on your personal space?” Viktor teased from across the room. “I’m so sorry, she’s very nosy.”

Yuuri laughed and shook his head. “No, she’s fine,” Viktor smiled bright and wide and returned to his work, focusing again on the task at hand. Yuuri gave the poodle all the chin scratches and belly rubs she wanted, listening to Viktor’s soft humming. He was so beautiful—tall and lean, his trim waist accentuated by the apron he wore, his own logo in sparkling pink lettering on the front. 

It was nearly impossible not to stare at his chest when he wore it, the logo all but forcing Yuuri’s eyes to his broad span of it. Yuuri tried not to stare when Viktor rounded the table, his butt looking utterly peachy in the comfortable-looking leggings he wore with his usual bright pink top, his name embroidered above his heart. He was gorgeous and athletic, toned in a way that gave him the silhouette of a world-class athlete, not just a dog groomer. 

The trophies and ribbons on a high shelf behind the front counter perfectly exemplified Viktor’s reputation; Viktor groomed champions. He displayed framed photos of himself with show champions beside a pair of golden shears mounted on a placard. Viktor’s time was expensive, and Yuuri had shuffled his budget around quite a bit to justify it. 

Yuuri had been to snotty groomers before, who had looked at Vicchan once and refused his patronage. But Viktor was different. He had cooed at Vicchan excitedly, giving Yuuri free extras and upgrades every time he visited. He would have felt patronized if Viktor wasn’t so impossibly attractive and kind about it.

The thought had crossed his mind once or twice—that he wasn’t the only one being given little extras on the side. Yuuri laid awake at night worrying he was being tricked into something, but time and time again, he couldn’t find a reasonable explanation. Viktor didn’t have a reason to be doing it. Viktor was simply Viktor, and after overhearing someone else’s (much more expensive) final bill, Yuuri felt something settle in his heart.

“Yuuuuuri,” Viktor singsonged at him, wiggling his immaculate silver brows in his direction. “I asked you a question.”

“I… oh,” Yuuri wondered absently if it was possible for his cheeks to spontaneously combust. They were certainly warm enough for it. “What did you ask?”

Viktor laughed softly and repeated his question. “Why does she like you better than me?” 

Yuuri snorted a laugh at the thought. “She doesn’t like me better!” he insisted, fighting his own flush at the way Viktor incredulously stared him down. “She doesn’t! She’s your girl, I’m just more exciting. She doesn’t see me as often as she sees you.”

“Mm, I’m not so sure about that. Even when she stays at home, she never pays me that kind of attention,” Viktor bemoaned dramatically, draping his gloved hand over his forehead. Yuuri couldn’t stifle his laugh then, letting it rumble to life from his gut and overflow into a hiccupping fit. 

Viktor looked mildly alarmed, his eyebrows knit together in the middle, his forehead creasing softly. Yuuri waved him off right away, still laughing and fighting for breath. Viktor had finished his groom and was in the process of clipping the dog’s nails; he looked like he was ready to abandon the husky on the table in favor of saving Yuuri from whatever giggle fit he had fallen prey to.

“Everything alright?” Viktor asked, and Yuuri nodded, reaching for his water bottle and finishing off what he hadn’t drunk in his frenzied panic before he arrived. 

“I’m fine, I promise,” Yuuri answered when he could breathe normally again, feeling warm and cared for when Makkachin laid her head in his lap and Vicchan mirrored her on the opposite side. The image was illegally adorable; he snapped a photo and sent it to Viktor through Instagram, as they had taken to doing lately. 

Yuuri had begun to notice that the photos didn’t always pop up in his feed, and likewise the photos Viktor sent him didn’t always end up on his profile. A warm buzz rolled over him at the thought. Feeling bold, Yuuri smiled up at Viktor from across the room. 

"You should let me steal her. Then when I let you see her, you'll be just as interesting as I am."

Yuuri had never seen a human being with a better puppy-dog pout than Viktor’s. His eyes went wide and glistened with false tears. “You wouldn’t. You can’t!” he cried in dramatized anguish, reaching out to the poodle still happily laying across the couch at his side. “You can’t take my Makka from me! Take all the cash in the drawer, take me, whatever you want!”

Yuuri was far too focused on the ‘ _ take me’ _ to remember anything else that Viktor had said before that. He simply hid his face in his hands, hoping he could adequately disguise his furious blush. 

“Just steal both of us. It’ll be much more fun that way,” Viktor offered instead, only worsening Yuuri’s flush. How could he say something so unambiguously adorable? His tone didn’t sound playful, like the other teasing had been. Yuuri felt silly for it, but he moved his fingers aside, peeking through the gaps between them. Viktor’s smile was so wide and pink, his eyes so bright and earnest it hurt; but somewhere deep in his heart, he couldn’t look away.

Viktor laughed, bright and musical, and he hoisted the husky off the table, clipping his leash back into place. Yuuri swallowed thickly at the way his biceps moved; he was strong, and Yuuri felt himself blush as the thoughts dipped into obscene territory.

“Do you mind keeping Yoo jin company for a minute?” Viktor asked as he rounded the counter, handing Yuuri the nylon braided leash. “I have to call his person.” The dog sat dutifully at his feet, laying his head across Yuuri’s thighs. Viktor did a beautiful job with him, his coat sleek and shiny, a bright red bandana tied over his collar. He had mismatched eyes, one brown and one bright blue. He was a beautiful dog, Yuuri had to admit. But the blue in his eye didn’t hold a candle to Viktor’s.

“Handsome boy,” Yuuri cooed at him, scratching behind his ears and watching his tongue loll out of his mouth happily. “Such a smart, handsome boy.” 

He felt Viktor’s eyes on him, those warm blue eyes that he had been so captivated by. He didn’t look up from the dog in his lap, knowing that he would immediately forget the responsibility Viktor had trusted him with. 

“Wonderful.” The soft, low tone of Viktor’s voice was soothing to Yuuri’s frazzled nerves as he spoke with Yoo jin’s person. “See you shortly. Thank you.”

The landline beeped as Viktor ended the call and set it back on the receiver. Leaning across the countertop, Viktor’s hair caught the last gasp of afternoon sunlight before it fell behind the buildings across the street, casting his usually silver hair in a gorgeous shade of golden-white. He looked ethereal, like he didn’t belong on the same planet as Yuuri, let alone in the same boutique dog grooming studio. 

“Now, who’s handsome?” Viktor asked, his tone as light and playful as ever. Yuuri felt himself blush to the tips of his ears. Viktor’s smile widened into that familiar heart shape that Yuuri loved so much. “I certainly hope you’re not just talking about the dog.”

Yuuri smiled, seeing the place that Viktor had made for him to admit it. Even if he was joking, simply teasing him, Yuuri couldn’t simply walk past the chance. He swallowed the lump in his throat and pushed the fear down. 

“I said it to Yoo jin, but…” Yuuri pushed out a shaky breath. “He’s certainly not as handsome as you are.”

Viktor’s cheeks turned a beautiful shade of rosy pink. “Flatterer.”

“It’s true.” Viktor was smiling in a way that screamed he knew it was true, but Yuuri could hardly blame him. No one who looked like Viktor could honestly evaluate themselves as anything other than painfully attractive.

Yuuri stood from the couch, much to Makkachin’s chagrin. She whined at his departure, breaking the moment somewhat.

“Poor girl, she misses you already.” Viktor laughed, though the blush on his cheeks didn’t relent. Yuuri joined him at the counter, feeling flushed and warm.

"Maybe she wouldn’t miss me as much if we saw each other more often," Yuuri blurted out, surprised at his own boldness. Viktor’s lips curled up in one corner, a playful smile back on his cheeks. 

"What are you saying, Yuuri the dog-stealer?" he teased, leaning even further over the counter; Yuuri felt himself pulled in as well, pressing himself against the glass display case of expensive pet shampoos and skin treatments. 

"Maybe we could—” Yuuri began, his breath catching in his throat. Viktor’s lips, his soft smile was right there, looking so close, so pink and so,  _ so kissable.  _ Yuuri bit his lip, steeling himself despite every urge to press his lips to Viktor’s, to taste his voice after only hearing it for so long. "Maybe we could go to the park together? Meet there? I don't. I don't know. I don't care." He pushed it out in a rush of breath and Viktor hummed, the sound excited and sweet.

"Are you asking me out, Yuuri?" Viktor asked, his voice no louder than a whisper of breath against Yuuri’s cheek. They were so close, Yuuri felt like he would catch fire just from their proximity. He swallowed again.

"What would you say if I was?" Yuuri’s voice didn’t waver; his eyes held Viktor’s without flinching. He could see the flare of his pupils as they dilated, the surge of redness on sculpted cheekbones.

"Why don't you ask and find out?" Viktor replied. The tiniest brush of his fingertips against Yuuri’s had him desperate for more touch, more of Viktor’s attention, more of anything, of everything. They were so impossibly close; the tiniest movement and their lips would touch. Yuuri could smell the soft coconut of Viktor’s shampoo, the crisp clean scent of his cologne.

“Viktor,” Yuuri breathed, feeling as if static electricity was buzzing in his fingertips. The brush of Viktor’s nose against his made him gasp and he leaned into the scant millimeters between them. “Will you-”

That bell above the door jingled and Makkachin barked politely as the door swung open. A rush of warm air filled the lobby and Yuuri tore himself away from the counter so quickly he felt dizzy. Viktor greeted whom Yuuri assumed was Yoo jin’s person based on the husky’s reaction. Yuuri buried himself in his phone, trying his best to keep his eyes down. 

Viktor’s voice is just as cheerful as ever, telling the man what a good job his beloved did, and took his payment without flinching. Yuuri had to admit that he envied him, the shamelessness of it. 

“Thank you, Mr. Lee,” Viktor chirped as the man turned on his heel. Yuuri finally looked up, meeting a deathly serious stare from this Mr. Lee, dark, pointed brows dismissive and disappointed at the same time. He was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses over his eyes and his demeanor read the perfect image of a self-important show dog parent. Yuuri did his best not to recoil at the stare.

"Sorry to interrupt," the man deadpanned. “See you in October, Viktor,” he said nonchalantly, heading out onto the street. Yuuri fought the urge to stick his tongue out at him as he left, but tamped down on the childish impulse. Outwardly, at least. He’d ruined one of the most perfect moments of his romantic life, and with  _ Viktor _ , no less.

“Where were we?” Viktor asked, calling Yuuri’s attention back to himself, having untied his apron and hung it on a hook on the wall. Yuuri squirmed and tucked a tuft of hair behind his ear, feeling nervous and excited in the best way. Viktor’s touch sent a chill down Yuuri’s spine as he cupped Yuuri’s cheek. His hand was soft and warm against Yuuri’s skin, and he barely pushed down a whimper at the touch. 

“I was, ah,” Yuuri began, his mind going blank as Viktor’s thumb smoothed over his cheek. “I was going to ask you to come to the dog park with me.” He felt like he was floating, suspended in midair by nothing but Viktor’s touch and his own excitement.

"That was my last appointment," Viktor whispered, falling into the same space they had shared before, barely a breath away from Yuuri’s lips. “I’m sure you’d prefer if I showered first, though.”

Yuuri smiled and nodded, a tiny movement that made his nose brush Viktor’s. "I could meet you there?"

"Or. You could stay." Viktor offered, “I live upstairs.”

“Okay, y-yeah, that works,” Yuuri managed, transfixed by the pale ivory of Viktor’s eyelashes. They fluttered like moth wings, soft and delicate. “I... Viktor, I want to kiss you,” he blurted, feeling his cheeks burn even more. “Can I?”

Viktor answered by cupping Yuuri’s cheeks in both hands and nodding. “Please.”

Yuuri moved first, the first brush of their lips as exciting as he had imagined it would be. Viktor was soft and yielding, moving into Yuuri’s careful touch as they kissed. Yuuri let himself hum into the kiss; Viktor’s lips parted in a moan. Warmth spilled into Yuuri's mouth. Viktor shuddered against his lips as Yuuri wound his hands into his hair, finding it just as perfectly soft as he had imagined.

Yuuri broke away with a wince, the cold glass digging into his hips finally too much.

“Wow.” Viktor’s cheeks were such a beautiful shade of red Yuuri knew he would never forget it. He rounded the counter with a shameless tent in his leggings, only half covered by his top. He locked the door, flipped the sign in the window to  _ Closed _ , and turned back to Yuuri. “I promise I’m not locking you in, the back door is just down the hall.”

Yuuri laughed, warm down to the soles of his feet. “I’m not worried, Viktor.” Viktor blushed and flipped the light switch off, casting the studio in golden, honeyed light. “You’re beautiful.”

The words came out without warning, and Yuuri didn’t feel the urge to backpedal. He meant it, and Viktor looked happy to hear them. Viktor offered his hand to Yuuri and led him through the dim studio and down the hall, up a narrow flight of stairs and into his apartment. Two sets of skittering paws followed them, both finding a comfortable place on the floor in the waning sunshine.

They kissed in the doorway, they kissed in the kitchen and the living room. They lost track of time and before long, it was dark. The park was closed, but the pizza place on the corner was open; they ordered delivery and kissed with cheesy, oily lips. 

“How about tomorrow?” Yuuri asked, resting on Viktor’s warm, bare chest, listening to his heart begin to beat slower and slower.

“Tomorrow works for me.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! i love this au, lmk if y'all want more *eyes emoji* 
> 
> <3 ia  
> [ Twitter](https://twitter.com/ia_theauthor) | [Tumblr](https://incandescentantelope.tumblr.com)


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